Super Bowl home rentals command top dollar but beware

Published 01/06 2012 06:52PM

Updated 01/12 2012 11:35AM

GREEN BAY (WFRV) Super Bowl XLVI is just under a month away. But rooms at local inns filled up months ago. Now, apartments, condos and houses are commanding top dollar whether furnished or not. That has Bobbie Mock looking to rent out some vacant apartments she owns near downtown Indianapolis.

"People don't want to come in and sit on floors and sleep on floors. Although maybe they do," she said while laughing.

Those who run listing services for Indianpolis property owners say there is interest in just about anything. Robert Hayes, of Sport Event Rentals says that includes calls from a fair number of Packer fans who browsed the company's website.

"Over the last year, we've had over 3,600 page views from people in Wisconsin to the website," he said.

Rentals can start in the $1500 range. At the top end, some home rentals go for $20,000 a month. Some include fully stocked kitchens and wet bars. But some listings require thousands of dollars in security deposits up front. And one attorney says know what you're paying for and who you're dealing with first.

"This is a situation that's absolutely rife with the opportunity for fraud," said Tom Rohan, an attorney for Davis & Kuelthau Attorneys at Law in Green Bay.

To reduce those risks, Rohan advises contacting a real estate agent to make sure the renters contact and address matches property records. Robert Hayes also advises renters to research listings..

"Going to "Google" on your own and double checking on your own, even doing a "Google" search of the people who you're listing through their address," Hayes said.

"The last thing you want to do is get down there and find out that the money you paid is long gone or the property you thought you rented is rented to someone else or doesn't exist," Rohan said.